03 December 2009

I interviewed a guy about 10 months back who we've since hired. Having now worked with him on a project, I realize I should have listened to that little voice. Here's the email I sent to my architect after finishing the interview:

Interview went pretty well. He’s a nice guy and I think he’d fit in with the team really well. That said, I’ve got a reservation or two.

He wrote *the single strangest* factorial I’ve ever seen anyone write. Other than a couple of small bugs with it which I helped him see and work through, he had this...well, let me see if I can reproduce it:

I think that’s it, after we fixed his bugs. It took a while for me to get him to figure out he didn’t need that array. Afterward, we were talking and he said he tends to think of solutions to problems with loops and arrays and that’s just where his mind naturally gravitates. That is one big hammer he carries around and it concerns me.

He was open and listened clearly and didn’t *ever* get defensive about what he’d written, but it still gave me pause. He knows what he knows, wants to keep learning more, and would fit in great on a team. But...

19 November 2009

08 September 2009

We've been rewatching The West Wing because it's summer and there's not much on. This weekend, we watched episode 2.09 - "Galileo". In this episode, the President is preparing for a national classroom to discuss science and math in honor of the landing of the Mars probe Galileo. And even though the probe fails, Bartlett decides to go on with the electronic classroom anyway because we - and our children - can learn as much out of failure as success.

Being a smart writer - with some notable faults - Aaron Sorkin tried very hard to avoid painting Republicans and the right wing as villains. He also worked very hard not to write straw men. So this episode has no crazy wingers screaming and crying that the President is trying to indoctrinate their children. No one pressuring school boards to cancel the broadcast. No one pulling their children out of school to protect them from the President's message of hard work and education.

Because Sorkin wouldn't have wanted to be accused of creating outlandish, unrealistic, crazy characters just to make the right wing look insane. You know?

07 September 2009

Hey everyone, it’s Anaïs,
bringing you the week 5 wrapup, and we’re getting close to the end of
this cycle. How will our stories end? You’ll have to check in and see
what the original authors of each story come up with.

Finkle, Out of Sorts
I explored Finkle’s growing tensions at work as well as the
antagonistic relationship with his mother, who appears to him in an
especially insidious form.

The Last Time I Saw Richard
Matt learns about the ancient uses of perfumes and meets Richard’s lady
Mary as he tries to figure out what has happened to his friend.

The Letters of Rose Constance
This week’s letter from Rose has a heartfelt plea for her beloved James
to return home as soon as possible. Will he? The wrapup will tell us
how it ends.

Night Vision
Gregory and Zoie finally make it to the hospital, growing closer as
Zoie tries to hang on for medical attention. Will Zoie be okay?

Limbs Akimbo
Charlie’s story is going to take a major turn for the better. His
parents set up his car so he can drive it again, with hand controls. Of
course it won’t solve his issues or cure his PTSD or mend his broken
heart, but it will be a start.

This is Maria, bringing you this week’s wrapup in which we are now closer to the end than the beginning. Of the story cycle, that is.

Finkle, Out of Sorts.
I explored our hero’s nightmare, which may or may not have included an
appearance by Ursula the sea witch. And then there was a dramatic
reversal in the fate of the crew of the Imperial Star Navy. Or was
there? It’s in Anaïs’s hands now.

The Last Time I Saw Richard.
Anaïs got Richard talking and introduced a sinister and controlling new
character. Will the narrator ever get the real story from Richard? And
how will they extricate themselves from Roswell? Coyotesqrl will tell
the tale.The Letters of Rose Constance.
Coyotesqrl’s letter took a fascinating turn. He explored Rose’s tragedy
of sickness and loss, and fleshed out the character of Mrs. Dandry, who
is more powerful and pivotal than first seemed. He close with a happy,
warm memory. What will summer bring? Will James ever return? Only
Oledoc knows.

Night Vision.
Oledoc continued the story I started with a hilarious phone call, some
Boy Scout antics and a comfortably silent ride to the hospital. He also
treated us to several sweet moments between the young Zoie and Gregory.
I can’t wait to see where Paulos takes the narrative next. Limbs Akimbo.
Paulos painted a scene that was simultaneously beautiful and haunting,
in which Charlie, helpless and detached, observes himself as if
watching a play. Will he ever be able to release his pain and guilt?
Can he shake off his impotence and reclaim some power, ease the brutal
images in his mind and start down the road to forgiving himself? I’m
not quite sure yet, but I’ll have it sorted out by Friday.

22 August 2009

Finkle, Out of Sorts.
Last week I had to get someone out of an apartment. This week I get
someone inside one. I briefly introduced a new character to provide a
counterpoint to Alan’s depression. I look forward to seeing where
Maria takes this next week.

The Last Time I Saw Richard.
Maria develops the relationship between Richard and our narrator and
sets the scene for what will no doubt prove to be an interesting
conversation. Is it just me or does anyone else think “just because
you’re paranoid it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you?” We shall
see what Anaïs thinks.

The Letters of Rose Constance.
Anaïs - er - Snarkface continues this story of loss as we learn a
little of Rose’s husband and of her sad past. The tone fits well with
what I had in mind when I began this story. I wonder how it will end.

Night Vision.
Coyotesqrl brings us a lovely interplay between Gregory and Zoie, and
ends with an “ooof” and an “ouch”! The story will continue next week
in Oledoc’s more than capable hands.

Limbs Akimbo.
Another great chapter: mother and son, flashbacks, tears. How I’m
expected to keep following up from Oldedoc is beyond me! I shall do my
best.

Tune in next week for more depresssion and mind-wandering, paranoia
and friendship, sorrow and loss, broken bones and running, tears and
blood.

15 August 2009

In keeping with our rotating writers theme, this wrapup was written by Jay, who is currently following me. Poor guy has to try to make sense of the insane scribblings I leave behind on each story!

And now it’s gotten interesting. The rotation has started, each
author tackling the story of the person who posted before them, and
trying to maintain a balance between continuing the original narrative
and trying to bring something of one’s own to it. The results:

Finkle, Out Of Sorts:
I (hopefully) gave us a slightly deeper look into our Mr. Finkle’s
life, and added a little conflict to the story to boot. What will
happen next? Paulos will have to tell us.

The Last Time I Saw Richard:
Paulos did a great job of taking my story to the next stage, getting
Richard and our nameless narrator out the door and to a very
interesting place to have a drink. What happens next is up to Maria.

The Letters of Rose Constance:
Maria’s follow-up deepened story and character, taking our most
open-ended story and pointing it towards all sorts of interesting
possibilities. Whose soldiers have come to the door? What happened to
the children? Will Rose ever play the piano again? Anaïs has an
interesting road ahead.

Night Vision:
Anaïs’ nipple-hardening follow-up to Maria’s first chapter was a joy to
read, and left us all wanting more. And she’s right: there is no kiss
better than a kiss at 19. Coyotesqrl will have an interesting time
following that kiss up next Thursday.

Limbs Akimbo:
Coyotesqrl’s character work was great here, and built admirably on what
Anaïs began, ending with a lovely moment between Charlie and his
mother. I’m looking forward to seeing where this sparks my imagination
over the coming week.

So we made it through week 2, and now week 3 lies ahead. Where
will the stories go next? Is Roswell’s just another trendy New York
night spot, or does it hold a deeper secret? What—if anything—lies
beyond Alan Finkle’s front door? What secrets are Charlie and Rose
hiding? Where will Zoie and Gregory’s running feet take them next? The
answers lie in wait … but what they are, only the authors know …

09 August 2009

I rehabilitated a snowclone a couple of weeks back. What? English. Can you speak English?

Sorry. I took an extremely cliché joke template and used it in a way that is fresh, doesn't appear to have ever been used before, and I believe is pretty damn funny. I liked this joke so much, I decided I wanted a t-shirt with the joke on it so I drew a (not very good) picture to go with it and designed a shirt at Zazzle.

Then I wondered, "Why should I be the only one sporting this fine design and joke? I shouldn't right?" Y'all are definitely going to want one, or maybe a coffee mug. Yeah. Anyway, take a look.

This most likely won't be the last thing I design to sell at Zazzle; it's just so damn easy and I amuse myself, if no one else.

I've got *another* group writing blog going. This one's quite different from Sketch War and I would really appreciate it if y'all came on by and gave it a look. We've got five people writing and five stories going concurrently. This past week we started, each of us posting the first chapter - between 500 and 1000 words or so - of a story. One story for each weekday. This coming week, each of us rotates and writes chapter two of a different story. After five weeks, each of us will have written a chapter to five different short stories.

I expect we'll see a mix of ugly, awkward pieces that don't stitch together well and stories that become much better than the originator could have hoped. Regardless, I think it'll be interesting to watch. Either you see a trainwreck or a good story coming together, one chapter at a time. Here's the wrap up from the past week:

Five days and five stories started. I’m pretty pleased it all worked
out, especially since we had to make some last minute schedule changes.
But it will really start to get interesting this week coming up when we
all switch to another person’s story.

“Finkle, Out of Sorts”
came from me, and starts off the story of a Walter Mittyesque
character. I particularly like the short scene I set in the restaurant.
Oledoc will be following up this Monday.

“The Last Time I Saw Richard”
was Oledoc’s entry on Tuesday. Paulos will be taking on the next
chapter about an old friend who has fallen victim to extreme paranoid
delusions. Or are they delusions?

“The Letters of Rose Constance”
from Paulos looks to be an epistolary short story about a woman whose
lover has left her. Maria will be following up this Wednesday and maybe
we’ll see why he left.

“Night Vision”
came from Maria and was our most popular story start. I think she did a
great job of showing us Zoie’s personality through her actions and
behavior; after the first three paragraphs, I had a very clear picture
of her. Anaïs has some interesting choices to make for her followup on
Thursday.

“Limbs Akimbo”
was our final chapter on Friday. Anaïs’s story about a vet with a dark
secret gives me a lot of exciting avenues to explore when I write
chapter two for this coming Friday.

Will Maria’s fans come back to see how Anaïs follows up? Will Paulos
delve into Richard’s psychosis or show us a massive conspiracy
involving cologne? Will we hate or love where our writing partners take
our stories? Yup. This is when it starts to get interesting.

Finally saw 500 Days of Summer today. Plenty of others have had their say - both good and bad - since the film opened but I have a few thoughts I'd like to share.

First off, let me establish up front that like any sentient straight man, I've got a crush on Zooey Deschanel. It's not even just her eyes. She's got an edge to her few ingenues possess. She'd mess you up in a bar fight if you weren't careful. The cynicism and frankness in her Summer are terrifically appealing qualities too rarely found in women. She doesn't want a relationship, doesn't believe in love, and doesn't believe in games. It's as though the tough female sidekick from a teen romcom grew up to be the star of a love story. Or, as is the case here, the traditional male and female personas were switched in a romcom.

Let me continue by saying I'm a huge JGL fan. In this role he's given room to breathe (a bit; it does tend to the emo end of the spectrum) and gives a nuanced and subtle performance. Contrasting Deschanel's manga-eyes, his are narrowed to slits throughout; nonetheless, he expresses a variety of emotions solely with his eyes. Oddly enough, I'm reminded of Clint Eastwood and the way he lets so much of his inner life show through infinitesimal variations in his squint.

In many of the two-shots, the camera subtly favors JGL over Deschanel, drawing the eye to him. (Or, I've got a secret man-crush of which I'm unaware.) This, more than the film's POV, makes the audience attempt to relate to him. Which is good, because in every other way the film's structure forces the audience to be less emotionally engaged in the story.

The too-clever third-person narration serves to separate the audience from Tom quite a bit and the time-jumping structure - with the end a given - pushes the audience even further back. I found myself watching with a far more critical and clinical eye than I normally would for a first viewing: breaking down the movie, each scene, noting editing choices, and paying close attention to the use of music (more on that in a moment.) I actually found myself bridging my fingers during most of the screening, so intellectually engaged was I. I suspect that wasn't the desire or intent of the filmmakers and isn't the reaction positive reviewers seem to have had.

I liked the movie but didn't love it. I found the willingness of the filmmakers to throw a lot of different ideas on the screen refreshing, a bit like watching a grown up version of a Savage Steve Holland movie.1 The time jumps allow for some good jokes and juxtapositions but also hide a fairly conventional story. And while they make some poignant moments really pop - the pair of Ikea scenes and the two views of the record store scene both come to mind - they mostly served to keep me at arms' length. I saw the movie as a puzzle to be put together more than a love story; that engaged my logical faculties far more than my emotional ones.

Mostly I found joy in the smaller things like the tiny shout-out to Ferris Bueller's Day Off in the musical number and the split screen party and the performances by all parties. Geoffrey Arend - clearly the manliest, most awesome man alive2 - and Matthew Gray Gubler were particularly good as Tom's best friends, providing perspectives that were more traditionally male without veering into caricature. Even Minka Kelly was good, something I've never said before. She had so
few lines, it seemed their only purpose was to show how full her lips
are.3

And now, the reason this movie is striking a chord with so many people: the soundtrack. Not the choice of songs, certainly. I'm frankly tired of hipster kids who are alleged to listen to the music of my youth. No, the star of this film is the score. I didn't try timing it, but it seemed the majority of music in the film was diegetic. There was an extremely spare score but - and this is the key - it was silent during all the significant moments. Instead of the constant stream of music cues we're inundated with in most features and TV shows, here nothing got between the actors and us.

That silence is powerful because it is so unusual in film yet common in life. More than anything else, the silence of the score highlights the reality of Tom's situation. Those few moments that break from reality - the dance sequence, the French film, the erasing of the world around Tom - are all scored, as are lighter moments in the film and most of the scene cuts. But when we're in the moment, almost nothing takes us out of it. This is where the film shines.

As a whole it is so-so. In each of those moments it is universal and profound.

1. Yes, you have. Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, and How I Got Into College. My love for SSH is deep and profound and while I love that he gave us Eek! The Cat after he stopped making movies, the Disney Channel portion of his career hurts me.
2. Those who know who his fianceé is already know this.
3. And to deliver a silly joke.
4. I'm a prick.